Funeral-car



u 8. w M .l v s 4 n 2 m S Vu 2 m d nu t D e .Tu ...a .R SAD.. NG RL .UM BE .w .JF

2. 0 6, M 4 G 0 .m 6 M a o Y m N 1l IHIHHII" mllmlllwf 'llullllwl /NVENTR /TNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

J. BURNS.v FUNERAL GAR.

No. 604,602. Y Patented May 24,1898.

3W, Wirf W/TNESSES /NVENTOH TME Norms versus co. PHoTo-Llmo.. wnsnmn'ron. D. c.

llnirrnn @rains i Farrar Ormea.

JAMES BURNS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IFUNERLMCR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 604,602, dated May 24, 1898.

Application filed September 18,1897. Serial No. 652,140. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BURNS, of Cin* cinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Funeral-Oar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is a car adapted to carry funeral-luiers and other appurtenances used in funeral ceremonies. The invention may also be usedin railway-cars for transporting fire-engines and other analogous vehicles.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elevational view with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the lever for locking and starting the movable floor of the car. Fig. a is a fragmentary plan View of the same part, showing the lever in section; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the idlerpulleys.

The car is provided at the middle of each side with two panels G, essentially forming doors and running, respectively, on two rails 27, supported jointly on the movable sills 7 and on the stationary sills 2S. At each side of the car there are two stationary sills 28, respectively, adjacent to the ends of the car. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Between these sills 28 the sills 7 are removably held, one at each side of the car and both at the middle thereof. The panels 6 are adapted to slide edgewise and inward of the stationary panels of the car. To carry the panels 6 on the respective rails 27, each panel is provided with a roller 29 and a roller 30. The upper edges of the panels 6 run in grooves formed in the stationary framing 34 at the top of the car. T he removable sills 7 may be lifted vertically in and out of place. It is possible, therefore, to slide back the panels 6 and lift out the sills 7, so-as to open completely either side of the car.

The floor of the car is provided with a movable portion 9, carried on four wheels 9. The

movable portion S of the floor is normally vided with flaps similar to the fiaps 131.

held removably in place by means of rigid arched rail sections 10, which are four in number, one for each wheel 9. Each rail-sec tion 10 has a horizontal intermediate portion. (Shown in full lines in the drawings.) The inner ends of the rail-sections 10 are rigidly secured to a frame-beam 11,run longitudinally beneath the car. The sections 10 may be otherwise or further braced, if desired. Movable rails 12 may be hingedlyconnected with the ends of the rail-sections 10, so that the rail-sections 12 will extend downward and outward, as shown in Fig. 2, to rest on the ground and to permit the floor 8 to roll in and out on the rail-sections. By these means the floor S may be moved in and out of the iioor, maintained all the while in a horizontal position. The fioor 8 is provided at each side edge with a flap 13, which flaps are capable of extending out horizontally fro m the iioor S While the iioor is at its inward position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2. The flaps are Yalso capable of moving up when the .floor is in the car, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to permit the lioor to be moved in and. out of the car. Then when the iioor 8 is rested on the ground so as to receive the load the iiaps 13 hang down and form inclined planes leading up to the floor. 1f desired, the end edges of the floor 8 may also be pro- The rail-sections 12 may be arranged on either side of the car, so that the car may be loaded on either side. When the rail-sections are not in use, they are folded lengthwise beneath the floor of the car, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Attached to the floor 8 are four lines or chains 14, which are rove over blocks 15 and over rollers 16, suitably supported within the car. From the rollers 16 the lines or chains 14 pass to Winding-drums 18, supported on standards 19, held by the stationary portions of the iioor. By Winding up the lines or chains 14E the floor 8 may be raised on the railsections 10 and 12. The load is placed upon the floor, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the iloor is raised over the rails to the position shown by full lines in the same figure. The floor is held stationary on the horizontal portions of the rail-sections 10 and is given a start sidewise when the door is to be IOO lloaded, such start being given by means of a lever 20, the lower end of which is pivoted to a link 2l,which in turn is pivotally supported on a stud 22, projecting from the stationary portion of the fioorof the car. The movement of the link 2l is limited by another stud 23, also projecting from the stationary portion of the floor of the car. Two l1and-grasps 24 are pivoted on the lever 2O and are braced outward by springs 25. The hand-grasps 24: are each pivoted to a pawl 26. The pawls 26 extend downward and are adapted to engage in openings in the floor 8. This arrangement holds the floor 8 stationary on the rail-sections l0, and by throwing the lever sidewise the floor 8 may be thrown in the same manner, so as to start the same in its movement down the rails l0 and l2.

The invention is adapted principally to carry hearses from place and also to be fitted up with seats for persons concerned in the funeral. The invention is further useful for carrying all kinds of Wagons and carriagesfor example, fire-engines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car having a movable floor, and rails on which said floor may be moved from its position in the car to a position in proximity to the ground, the rails maintaining the Hoor in a horizontal position.

2. A car having a movable floor, lines or chains attached to the lfioor for raising the same, and rails on which the floor may move.

3. A railway-car having a movable floor, stationary rail-sections on which the Hoor normally rests, and movable rail-sections capable of connection with the stationary railsections and of extending outwardly and downwardly to the ground.

4. A car having a movable floor, lines or chains attached to the oor by which to raise the same, stationary rail-sections on which the door is normally supported, and removable rail-sections capable of connection with the stationary sections and of extending outwardly and downwardly to the ground.

5. A railway-car having a panel sliding in one side thereof, and a removable sill whereon said. panel bears.

6. A railway-car having a floor, a portion of which is capable of lateral movement in and out of the car, means Whereon said portion of the floor is supported, and a panel Jforming part of the side of the oar and slidable on the car to permit the displacement of said portion of the floor of the car.

7. A railway-car having rails, a removable iioor portion carried on said rails and movable in and out of the car, a removable sill held on the car, and a sliding panel normally sustained on the sill and capable of moving on and off the same to permit the displacement of said iioor portion.

8. A railway-car having a removable floor portion, a series of stationary railsections Whereon said portion may rll, and removable rail-sections capable respectively of attachment to the stationary rail-sections to form continuations thereof.

9. A railway-car having a removable loor portion, rails whereon said portion may roll to move in and out the car, and lines attached to the loor portion and supported on the car whereby to move the floor portion on said rails.

l0. A railway-car having a removable floor portion, means whereon said portion is carried to roll in and out of the car, and a lever swinging on the stationary portion of the car and engaging the ioor portion to start the same laterally.

JAMES BURNS. 

